Epilogue
by omegafire17
Summary: After being separated, Emil is back, appearing before Marta. Are they ready to continue their relationship? EmilXMarta. Rating: M
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Tales of Symphonia, not at all.

**Rating:** M (won't appear until after a few chapters, so it's T otherwise)

**A look at what might have happened after the ending of Dawn of the New World (spoilers for the Perfect ending). ****But don't worry, the original cast will make appearences as well ;) They're too good to leave out, but the focus is on Emil and Marta (and Tenebrae ;) ).**

* * *

><p>Marta sighed, standing there against the railing in Palmacosta. It was the day after she had last seen Emil, after he had told her he loved her too, then the Ginnungagap had been sealed.<p>

She didn't know what she was gonna do without him... except for try to protect the world he was guarding, as she said to the open air, hoping he heard her.

She heard footsteps from her right, so she slowly leaned backward from the railing, closing her eyes as she prepared herself. She turned around... only to slow in shock.

Emil stood there, green eyes and familiar outfit. He rubbed his head with a sheepish look, but he didn't say anything, just smiling a bit as he waited for her to say something.

"...It can't be" she finally said, only for her blue eyes to grow wet. She ran at him, launching herself at him.

"EMIL!"

In what seemed like slow motion, Emil caught her and spun her around, holding her close. They stayed that way for a second or two, before slowly pulling away, Marta still in tears.

"Emil... how... I thought you..." she tried to say, tears still falling.

"Marta" he said gently, moving closer and closing his eyes. Her eyes widened faintly, feeling his lips on hers, all the proof she needed that he was here right now, and real. She closed her eyes, kissing him back as she held him.

"Must you really make me watch your public display of affection?" came a voice from the air, causing Marta to break their kiss in shock, not that Emil was offended or anything. Just as she was about to call out his name, Tenebrae appeared floating in mid-iar, with his usual puff of darkness. "It is quite nauseating, you know"

"Tenebrae?" she breathed, staring at him, then she brightened considerably as she rushed at him. "Tenebrae!"

"Lady Marta" he greeted, letting her grip his fur in her hug.

It took them a bit of time to calm Marta down, or at least enough to get her back to normal. Much of it was accomplished by her simply holding Emil close, not that he minded much, other than blushing a bit.

"Emil" she whispered, sounding dazed as she looked up at him. "How are you here? I thought the Ginnungagap was sealed..."

"It is" he said gently, his voice still the same, just a lot more confident that he had been at the start of their journey. "No one can approach the Ginnungagap entrance again... but that hasn't stopped Ratatosk from letting people in or out of it, including himself"

"So..." she whispered nervously, her fingers touching his cheek. "Who are you? Are you... Emil? Or Ratatosk?"

"Lord Ratatosk has decided to live the life that Aster, who died by his hand, could not, as Verius herself has said" Tenebrae said, floating by their sides. "He is currently split into two forms. The Emil that you see in front of you, with his personality and body the same; and the core currently on Richter's forehead. I am here to protect my Lord's physical body, in addition to my job of distributing the world's mana through my monster servants"

"So" Emil added gently, his hands on her shoulders. "I have Ratatosk's body, but I'm me... Ratatosk's core will stay on Richter's forehead, until his part is done"

Before she could say anything to that, Tenebrae seemed to divine it instantly. "I know you wished for Richter to pay for his crimes, Lady Marta" he said, dipping his head. "But somehow, I doubt that any earthly crimes would be appropiate for a man who is supposed to be guarding the door to the demonic realm. And sadly, I feel that the pain he is willingly feeling right now, is more than any of your punishments could ever be"

"Is there nothing that can be done for him?" she asked sadly, looking down. "I may not like Richter... but I don't want him to suffer like that"

"Centurion Aqua is watching over Richter" Tenebrae said, though it seemed with faint distaste. "Whenever she's not doing her job recreating her bond with Lord Ratatosk, or distributing mana as my Lord commanded, she's always at his side".

"Don't worry, Marta, he'll be okay" Emil whispered, tilting her head up gently but nervously. "And Tenebrae can fill you in on all the details later... I think some of our friends will want to know I'm back"

She smiled, nodding as she took his hand. "You're right, Emil" she said, nodding. "They'll be just as happy as I am that you're back"

They had just started walking off the bridge before Marta stopped, making Emil stop and look at her. "Marta?" he asked, tilting his head.

She turned to face him, her eyes wet but sparkling. "Well, maybe not QUITE as happy as I am" she whispered, closing her eyes and kissing him again.

He blushed faintly, as he was prone to doing, but he slowly and gently kissed her back. He loved her, and she loved him, what was the harm?

Tenebrae just sighed and shook his head, then he disappeared in a puff of darkness, not that anyone noticed. "Love can truly blind you to all else" could be heard from the air, but it wasn't clear where exactly it came from.

* * *

><p>It took half the day, but Marta finally managed to gather all their friends in one place, which happened to be Altamira. They stood at the very top floor, the terrance, which was big enough for all of them.<p>

"Marta, my dear" Zelos spoke up in his usual flirty tone, though it wasn't a serious effort. "You've kept us waiting long enough, what's this 'surprise' you mentioned?"

Marta sweatdropped at his tone, but she smiled. "I'll let my friend speak for himself" she said simply, to their confusion.

With a puff of darkness, Tenebrae and Emil appeared by their side. "We are pleased to see you all again" Tenebrae said simply, even as he sat back.

"Emil! Tenebrae!" came from a surprised Lloyd, followed by the others half a second later.

He smiled sheepishly, rubbing his head as he stood there. "Hey there, everyone" he said.

"I thought you were still in the sealed Ginnungagap?" Raine said, her unfazed tone contrasting with her surprised look.

Presea was the exact opposite: unfazed face, but surprised tone. "Yes, I thought so as well" she said.

"If you'll allow me to explain" Tenebrae spoke up, from his sitting position. "I can answer any questions you may have"

One explaining session later...

"This is great!" Colette said, taking Emil's hand and pumping it. It was a friendly gesture, clearly, so Marta took little offense at it. "The door is still protected, and we get a dear friend back!"

"Yes, indeed" Regal said, smiling. "Quite a surprising, but pleasant, turn of events"

"You've got that right" Sheena added, smiling. "And now Emil gets a chance to be with Marta" she added slyly, to their faint blushes and everyone else's chuckles.

"And we get to be friends with Emil for much longer than we thought" Genis added brightly.

"But what about Richter guarding the door?" Lloyd asked, stepping forward. "Is there anything we can do to ease his task?"

"Only that you all continue your tasks in this world" Tenebrae said simply, to which Emil nodded. "Lessening the violence around the world, easing tensions between Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, as well as between humans and half-elves, protecting the new World Tree until it's stable, and so on. This will reduce the negative energy that the demons love, lessening their power, and Richter's pain as well"

He didn't even need to ask that one, as they would have done it anyway. They talked for a good while longer, though eventually, Emil was able to talk with Marta alone.

"Oh, Marta, I almost forget" he said, looking at her.

"What is it, Emil?" she asked, tilting her head.

"How's your father doing?" he asked, then he glanced down. "I know you said he was gonna be transfered to Meltokio's prision soon, but has that happened yet?"

Her eyes saddened a bit, but she shook her head, and she remained strong. "No, that's tomorrow" she said, looking back at him. "And during that time, he'll be put on trial, with me and our friends to speak on his behalf. I want you and Tenebrae to be there as well, but you don't have to say anything"

He smiled, nodding. "I'll be there, Marta" he said gently.

"And wherever Lord Emil goes, I follow, even if only to keep an eye on his location" Tenebrae said, then he seemed to grin. "Though I won't peek in on whatever you two choose to do"

"Tenebrae!" Marta exclaimed, more in embarrassment than anger. Tenebrae merely chuckled as he vanished in a puff of darkness.

_"Some things never change"_ Emil thought, then he blushed faintly as he looked at Marta. "Um... Marta?" he said, not sure how to ask this.

"Yes?" she asked softly.

"Um... where will..." he struggled a bit to find the words. "Where will I... sleep? Now that I'm back?"

She did blush faintly as well, though her eyes did sparkle. "You can sleep with me" she whispered softly but nervously, her hands behind her back as she swayed on the spot. "Regal gave me a room with two beds here, as a V.I.P guest at Lezerano Headquarters"

"He did?" he asked in slight shock, blushing harder as she mentioned sleeping in the same room with her (in separate beds, yes, but that was still embarrassing).

"Yeah" she said, bending over toward him. "And you're a V.I.P. guest as well, now that you're back" she added, then she slowly tilted her head, her face as red as his. "So, Emil... do you... want to?"

Blushing hard, he took a second before answering. What was the harm in sleeping in the same room together?

"Y-Yes" he answered, still blushing hard.

Marta pretty much threw herself at him, surprising him as he instinctively held her against him. "Oh Emil" she whispered softly, resting her head against his shoulder.

Emil slowly smiled as he held Marta, his face still red. The next few days, and quite possibly weeks, were going to be interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>EmilXMarta seriously needs more love... but that's why I'm writing this fanfiction ;)<strong>

**And there'll be more, for sure. Up next will be the trial and it's results.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Tales of Symphonia, not at all.

**Rating:** M (won't appear until after a few chapters, so it's T otherwise)

**A look at what might have happened after the ending of Dawn of the New World (spoilers for the Perfect ending). ****But don't worry, the original cast will make appearences as well ;) They're too good to leave out, but the focus is on Emil and Marta (and Tenebrae ;) ).**

* * *

><p>Emil gasped, sitting upright. For some reason, he expected to see Alice standing over him, holding up Decus's giant sword to kill him.<p>

Instead, he saw a modest-sized room, filled with every function you could need in a house. Breathing slowly, he slowly glanced around, his eyes falling upon Marta, who was laying asleep in the other bed, on the other side of the room. He slowly calmed as he looked at her, a tender smile coming to his face. She looked so peaceful, so... so pretty, when she was sleeping.

He blinked as he realized what he was thinking, then blushed as he slowly got out of bed. As he did so, he glanced at Marta again. Much like they had on their journey, they simply slept in their normal outfits.

"Tenebrae?" he whispered to the air quietly.

The Centurion of Darkness puffed into existence in front of him. "You called, Lord Emil?" he said, also quietly, as he was aware of the sleeping Marta.

"Wake her up for me, Tenebrae" he said, walking toward the bathroom. "I'm gonna shower before we go to the trial"

"Understood" Tenebrae said, slowly floating over toward Marta. In the bathroom, he turned on the hot water, though he waited ten seconds before he stepped in, to make sure it was really hot.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, sighing at the feel of hot water. _"The trial's today"_ he thought slowly, closing his eyes. _"What will happen? Brute may not have done those horrible things by his decision, but they won't just let him go without a warning... what if he's sentenced to... to death? And what about Marta?"_

The thoughts saddened him, and he thought of Marta. _"She herself said she'll face her sentence... but what will happen if they're both put in jail? What will I do?"_

He sighed slowly in the hot water, wondering about the trial. He'd do his best to speak in their defense, as everyone of their friends would, but what would the ultimate decision be? That he worried about, a lot.

* * *

><p>Emil, Tenebrae, and everyone single one of their closest friends waited in front of the hotel in Altamira. They were serious, even a bit grim, knowing today would decide Marta and her father's fate.<p>

At last, the doors opened, and Marta stepped forward, her father in tow. He was strong enough to walk, but he was still recovering from what Decus did to him, so she supported her father as they walked.

"We're ready" she said, her expression nervous and a little sad, but determined.

Emil and the others nodded. "All right then" he said, all of them starting to walk to where they had parked their Rheairds. They were slow, no one looking forward to the upcoming event, but they walked toward them all the same. Minutes later, they flew through the air, everyone but Emil and Brute in separate Rheairds.

Up in the air, more or less glancing around the clouds (the Rheaird was flying itself, all it needed was a destination), and there was barely any sound of rushing wind. The sound of laughter caught his attention, and he looked to his side.

It was Marta who was laughing, her hair whipping in the wind. She was enjoying the ride, which surprised him; the time they had gotten Rheairds (shortly before going to see Verius), Marta had been disgrunted about them.

Then it occured to him that she hadn't been happy about the fact that he or Ratatosk might disappear, once they combined themselves... so she hadn't even noticed the flights before? Because of worry about his two sides disappearing, and later, the worry of facing Richter, Alice, Decus and Aqua in the Ginnunugagup?

_"Now it makes sense"_ he thought, looking at her with a small smile. He blinked when he heard a sigh behind him, and he glanced at Brute.

The former commander was looking out at his daughter, a smile coming to his face. "That's the first time in a long while that I've seen her so happy..." he said, almost to himself. Then he noticed Emil watching him, and he looked back. "Take good care of her, Emil" he said, soft but serious at the same time.

He blushed faintly, but he nodded. "I will, sir" he said softly.

After that, Brute continued tenderly looking at his daughter, almost like it might be the last time.

* * *

><p>The door's opened, and they all started walking inside (or in Tenebrae's case, floating). The room was large, filled on both sides with nobles, who would watch the trial (but had the right to speak during certain parts). Along the end of the room, sat the judge on his seat, a row of seats for the jury, and His Majesty himself sitting on the other side (who was personally visiting, not officially).<p>

Emil and everyone but Marta, Tenebrae and Brute took their seats in the front. Tenebrae was content to sit by Brute's side, not that anyone opposed this (though they were some confused murmuring, for those who had no idea what he was). With Marta's help, Brute slowly sat down on his place, Marta holding his hand for moments longer, before she slowly pulled away, to take her own place.

And with that, the court hearing began.

Brute went first. He said he was guilty, first of, of everything he had done, though most of it was not of his conscious decision. He had done horrible things, but many of them where under the inflence of Solum's core (Tenebrae added that dormant Centurion cores can cause insanity). He also said he would not have come to his senses if Emil and Marta had not defeated him. He also added Marta leaving the Vanguard with Ratatosk's core had prevented him from doing even worse things, like firing off a mana cannon.

Marta was next. She also pleaded guilty, saying that if she had truly confronted her father sooner, she might have stopped some of the Vanguard's actions. She also tried to plead guilty to being part of the Vanguard at all, though she did say she doesn't regret running with Ratatosk's core. Everyone of her friends stepped in on her behalf, saying all the good deeds she had done across the reunited worlds. Everyone, including Zelos (who was the most serious anyone had seen him), stood up for her.

Even Seles put a few words on her behalf, saying she risked a lot to save her from Decus, who had been posing as Lloyd at the time.

The jury discussed this at length, then one of them asked Marta directly: "While we are aware of your and Brute's actions, what are the fates of Alice, Decus, Richter, Magnar, and Hawk? They, besides you two, were the most prominent members of the Vanguard"

Marta looked up, her eyes determined to face whatever they threw at her. "Magnar is still out there somewhere, but we're looking" she said. "Hawk is dead, struck down by accident by my father, while he was insane... Alice and Decus are also dead, struck down by me and Emil, in necessary self-defense, though we regret having to do so... Richter will not be coming back to this world for the next 1,000 years"

His Majesty spoke up, to many's surprise. "Why, Marta?" he asked. "From all that we've heard, Richter is the one ultimately responsible for everything that has happened to the world lately. Why will he not face his crimes?"

"Because he's doing something far more important" sounded into the hall, all eyes turning to Emil, who had stood up. "Richter is in the Ginnungagap" he continued, his voice unafraid. "He is guarding the door to the demonic realm, burning his own mana and body to keep the demons at bay. He is facing unimaginable pain, to atone for his crimes, and to protect our world. He will be doing so for 1,000 years, as Marta said, or as long as his body can last"

As surprising as he statements had been, they had been considered by the jury. Minutes later, the jury's judgement was ready to be delivered.

Marta, Brute, and all their friends stood still, waiting.

"Marta Lualdi" one of the the jury said, making Marta look up. Despite her determination to remain still, she shuddered, and a few tears brimmed in her eyes.

"We of the jury find you... not guilty" he said, looking at her. "You are cleared of all charges"

Marta just stood there with a shocked expression, while her friends visibly and audibly relaxed. The reaction of the crowd nobles was mixed, but that didn't matter much to anyone important. Marta meanwhile, felt a touch on her arm; her father's. She staggered over toward him, hugging him hard, even as tears fell slowly.

"Brute Lualdi" the jury said again, and this time the entire room become still. Marta slowly looked up, her eyes still teary, but trying to be strong as she slowly stood up, next to her father. Brute himself was determined, looking up at the jury himself.

"We of the jury find you... guilty" he said, glancing down at them.

The nobles in general reacted with favortism to this, wanting someone to pay for the Vanguard's actions. Emil, Tenebrae, Lloyd, Sheena, Zelos, Regal, Presea, Raine, Genis, Colette, and Seles were not among those cheering.

The judge then spoke: "Brute Lualdi, you have been found guilty of the crimes you're accused of" he said sternly, as was his job. "However, you have admitted guilty, and because of certain circumstances regarding Solum's core... I rule that your sentence be 5 years in Meltokio's prison"

While the nobles were again mixed about the sentence, a certain number of people were relived and/or stunned that it was that little of a sentence.

* * *

><p>The court was settled, and business was concluded, and Brute was taken away.<p>

Marta stood outside, seeming dazed. Emil slowly approached her, touching her shoulder lightly. "Marta... are you okay?" he asked hesistantly.

"No" she said with a small rasp, as if she had been crying. "But I guess... I will be, in time" she said, slowly turning around to face him. Her eyes were still teary, as he had thought, which made him a little sad.

She continued: "I'm relieved I got off clean... and I'm sad to see my father put in jail, even though I knew it was gonna happen, but... I'm also happy, that his sentence is so short, that I can see him again... not just during visitor's hours, but truly after 5 years" she whispered, tears slowly falling. She looked down, her voice uncertain. "I'm just... not sure what to do right now"

"Then..." he said, figuring out what to say, then his tone become gentle. "Then how about we just take this a day at a time... starting with tomorrow, when we go visit your father. You can even cook for him, if you want to. You've gotten a lot better, you know"

She looked up at him, her eyes just as teary as before. Then she rushed at him and clung to him, he instinctively holding her close.

"That sounds... lovely, Emil" she said, then she started to sob in his arms.

Emil stood there, gently comforting her as the cried. Their friends stood beside her, silent but sympathic, giving her the moment she needed.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor girl, but we all knew this was coming.<strong>

**Still, Brute will not be completely forgotten. Next chapter, they'll visit him in prison, along with Marta's cooking just for him. Will also include an after-work scene with Emil and Marta ('work' being their years-long tasks across the reunited worlds).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Tales of Symphonia, not at all.

**Rating:** M (won't appear until after a few chapters, so it's T otherwise)

**A look at what might have happened after the ending of Dawn of the New World (spoilers for the Perfect ending). ****But don't worry, the original cast will make appearences as well ;) They're too good to leave out, but the focus is on Emil and Marta (and Tenebrae ;) ).**

* * *

><p>"You ready, Marta?" Emil said to her, holding her hand in his. Normally he'd be shy and nervous about doing that, but he was doing it for support, which was different.<p>

She nodded, looking at him with a smile. "Yeah, I'm ready" she said, holding her cooked meal in a special box. It had been forged in a minute by Ignis, allowing whatever was inside to be the perfect temperature for eating.

They were let inside by a guard, who after a brief look at her cooked meal, let them through. It was a necessary precaution, but it was a little annoying.

When they rounded the corner to Brute's cell, they were greeted with a relieved 'Marta!".

"Daddy!" Marta breathed, quickly handing the box into Emil's hands (surprisingly light for it's modest size), then as soon as the cell door was opened for their visit, she immediately went into her father's arms.

Emil smiled, letting them have their moment, slowly placing the box on the bench beside them.

"Marta" Brute said in a soft tone, holding his daughter close. "It's great to have you visit me here"

"Well, of course" she said brightly, gently and slowly letting go of him. "And I brought you some of my home cooking, here, let me get it"

Brute kept his smile until Marta's back was turned, then his expression became considerably less enthusiastic. _"He doesn't know that she's improved"_ Emil thought, feeling he should say something, so he stepped closer.

Before Brute could say anything, Emil whispered to him discreetly, so Marta wouldn't hear. "Don't worry, she's aware she was terrible, and has worked hard to improve" he said as quickly as possible, knowing he didn't have much time. "Trust me, sir, you'll like it"

He would have said more, but Marta took out her meal carefully; a simple omelette on a plate, but with a smiley ketchup face on it. It looked pretty good, and smelled pretty good, but the taste? "Here you go, Daddy" she said sweetly, smiling at him.

He took it with a smile, though he quickly and discreetly glanced at Emil. "Thank you, Marta" he said, then he began to eat.

Mere seconds later, his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Mmh... you've improved tremendously, Marta" he said, almost eagerly eating the rest.

"That makes it sound like I used to be terrible" she said, glancing down. Emil glanced at her, knowing that line, as she had said it to him once.

Brute looked like he was gonna react the exact same way he had, but Marta cut him off. "Okay, so I was pretty awful" she said, swaying a bit on the spot. "But thanks to Emil and all my friends, I've realized this, and worked to improve... I may not be the best cook ever, but my meals are still full of love"

"And I'm glad that hasn't changed, Marta, my dear" he said, standing and hugging her. She hugged him back with a smile, while Emil looked at the happy family with a smile of his own.

_"What a lovely scene"_ Tenebrae said in Emil's mind, so no one else would hear, and Emil nodded. And unlike the last time Tenebrae said that line, he meant it.

Shortly afterward, they were told their visiting time was almost up, so Marta and Emil said their goodbyes.

"We'll visit you every week, daddy" she said, smiling with a tear in her eyes. "That is, if we're able to"

"Just do what you need to out there, and don't worry too much about me" he said, holding his daughter's hand from between the bars, and a tender smile appeared on his face. "Take care, Marta"

"We will" she whispered softly, nodding. "I love you, daddy"

"I love you too, Marta" he whispered tenderly back, Marta's hand slowly sliding out of his.

Emil waited as Marta slowly turned to leave, then when she turned the corner, he started to follow.

"Emil"

He stopped, turning to face Brute again, his head tilted. "Yes, sir?"

Brute looked right at him, a smile on his face. "Two things" he said firmly but not unkindly. "One, take good care of my daughter, you hear me? I may have told you this before, but I'm serious"

He blushed faintly, but he nodded, his expression serious. "I plan to, sir" he said. "I may not know much about doing so, but I have Marta, and all my friends to help me out... but no matter what, I'll do my best"

Brute nodded. "Good" he said, then continued: "And two..."

He tilted his head slowly, looking at Brute.

Brute smiled at him. "You and your friends are miracle workers" he said simply. "In addition to saving our world, you improved my daughter's cooking... you can't imagine how bad it was before"

"I think I can, sir... I've tasted her skills before she improved" he said, rubbing his head sheepishly. He vaguely remembered the time... Tenebrae had told him he had fainted after trying her cooking.

He shook his head slowly with a smile. "You're a good man, Emil" he said. "Good luck"

He nodded, waving goodbye as he left the building.

* * *

><p><em>Some time later.<em>

Emil slowly opened the door to their room, Marta walking in after him. "Oh, thank goodness" Marta breathed out, staggering toward the bed, more or less falling onto it. "I thought today would never end!"

Emil agreed mentally, leaning against the doorway, breathing heavily. It's not like anything serious had happened, but they had been running all over the reunited worlds, trying to quell the ex-members of the Vanguard, those who wouldn't surrender. They handled it as best they could, but it had thoroughly exhausted them. And their work was far from over.

Emil slowly looked up as he breathed heavily, his gaze falling on Marta.

She lay there on her side, her legs open slightly, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she lay there. Along her legs, there were those small areas where skin was visible, just below the edge of her dress. Nothing was visible though, as she was wearing black tights.

Emil blinked slowly, blushing faintly. Why had he just been staring at her tights, including past the edge of her dress, as well as those small patches of skin? Sure he'd seen them before, but he'd never stared... was something wrong with him, or was it natural?

He glanced away, rubbing his head as he tried to figure it out.

In the meantime, Marta had recovered, while Emil watched from the corner of his eyes. She sat up, slowly looking herself up and down. "I need a shower" she said, standing up. "It's been so long since I've had one"

She started walking toward the bathroom, only to stop, looking down slightly as a blush came onto her face. That last part he didn't see, but the way she stopped got his attention.

Marta slowly turned to face him, and he took notice of her blush. She began to sway on the spot. "Emil" she said softly, but sounding nervous as well. "Perhaps... you could... join me?"

"Wah?" Emil breathed, his eyes wide. In his shock, that's all he could really do.

She glanced up at him, her eyes soft. "Only if you want to" she whispered nervously. "I understand if you don't... but the choice is yours"

"Uh..." he stuttered, staring at her, his face turning red as well. He tried to say or do something, anything, but he was unable to do so.

She giggled softly, smiling as she stepped closer to him. "Still as shy as the day we met, underneath all the maturing you've done" she whispered softly, touching her hand to his cheek. "Perhaps another day"

And with that, she kissed him softly, breaking him out of his trance. He closed his eyes, kissing her back, his face still red.

After ten seconds, she withdrew to breathe, then she resumed walking toward the bathroom, her hand sliding across his face as she did so. Emil stared after her, long after she was out of sight.

* * *

><p><strong>As Emil will slowly learn, things like that are natural ;)<strong>

**Next time, we will have part of a training scene with Emil and Marta, to make sure their skills stay sharp. Will also include another appearance ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Tales of Symphonia, not at all.

**Rating:** M (won't appear until after a few chapters, so it's T otherwise)

**A look at what might have happened after the ending of Dawn of the New World (spoilers for the Perfect ending). ****But don't worry, the original cast will make appearences as well ;) They're too good to leave out, but the focus is on Emil and Marta (and Tenebrae ;) ).**

* * *

><p><em>2 weeks later, early in the morning<em>

CLINK! CLINK! "Hah!"

Emil's Nether Traitor had swung through the air twice, but Marta's Kismet had blocked both. The 'Hah!" had been a swing by Marta, which Emil quickly backstepped from.

"Radiant Gale!" he heard, a foot connecting with his midsection, sending him flying into the air. He recovered in time though, and slashed just as Marta jumped for the heel kick. This surprised her, knocking her off-balance (though she landed on her feet easily). The problem was... he was about fifteen feet away, and Marta began casting (she didn't talk, so he couldn't tell what spell).

He took up a ready-to-run position, but he didn't move yet. He'd fallen for this a couple of times before: run at her, get a lucky hit in, but be trapped by her light-based attacks and be at her mercy, so to speak.

He didn't have to wait long.

Four strands of light gathered in a split-second over him; Photon.

He ran straight toward Marta, JUST missing the spell's multi-hits. So instead, he jumped up and swung his blade through the air. "Raining Fangs!" he cried out, multiple thin watery shockwaves slicing through the air.

Marta blocked most of them with Kismet spinning, and when he landed, she ran at him. "Remnant Strike!" she cried out, swinging at him with her spinner.

He blocked the first strike, but the blast-right-past-him part sending him spinning, only to be sent skidding by a blast of chi.

He ignored that as he stopped, and in a split-second went in close. "Sword Rain: Alpha!" he yelled out, going in fast with multiple quick stab attacks. Marta managed to block most of the smaller stabs (she'd gotten much practice from it), but the upward slash knocked her spinner off-balance. He took advantage of this, going in with two different attacks, then jumping in for a shockwave; Demon's Rage.

CLANG!

Emil's separate slash was blocked by Marta's spinner, both of them straining against each other, their expressions determined. But they were both heavily breathing, because this had been going on for awhile.

Marta smiled determinedly at him. "As usual, you're good, Emil" she said, then she slashed at him again.

He blocked, then he slashed back twice. One she blocked, but the other hit her spinner as it was arcing back, which knocked her off-balance. In fact, it knocked her so off-balance that she lightly fell onto the ground.

With her dress open right toward him.

Emil blinked, blushing faintly as he shook his head hard. There it was again... this staring up her dress, and at the patches of skin on her legs. Now he was starting to worry about himself.

While he went through this internal struggle, Marta shook her head and stood up, brushing her hair out of her face. "Okay, you got me there... maybe we should take a break now" she said, only turning toward him on the last part.

Fortunately, he had recovered by then, so she didn't suspect anything.

* * *

><p><em>Later that day<em>

Emil stood there in their room, not sure what to do. Marta had just left seconds ago for a shower, he having nervously turned down another offer to join her in there.

It's not like he didn't want to; he did. He was just nervous, both for Marta to see him in that manner, and him see her that way. Sure the hotsprings incident had been similar, but it had been a COMPLETE surprise to him, resulting in yelling, and misunderstandings.

_"Don't tell me you're going back to your cowardly ways"_ a voice said in his mind.

Emil blinked in surprise, then slowly closed his eyes. With that, it took only a second to take a certain mental trip. When he opened his eyes again, things had changed.

He floated in an empty space, that was both white and colorful at the same time, which couldn't seem to make up it's mind. Where he floated, two small bursts of energy slowly circled each other in an endless loop; one green, and one red.

Opposite him inside that endless loop, stood Ratatosk. He looked exactly the same as he did, only he had red eyes instead of green.

"Ratatosk" Emil said, looking at his other self. "Have you been here all this time?"

"Yes" he said firmly, though not unkindly. That was the way he spoke, with a quiet confidence no one could break. "I'm a part of you, just as you are a part of me, Emil. Even as I live on Richter's forehead, you can always find me here"

"So" Emil said slowly. "You're aware of everything that's happened to me"

Ratatosk nodded, looking at him. "I can feel and hear everything you do, though I can choose to block it out if I feel you require privacy" he said. "But anyway, you're conflicted right now. It's been, what, the fifth time Marta's asked you to join her? You want to, but nervousness keeps getting in your way. I understand the feeling of nervousness, but why let it stop you?"

He had to admit, Ratatosk had him there. "I guess I just... don't know" he admitted, glancing down briefly.

"If you continue to say no, Marta may think she's not appealing enough, or that you don't love her enough to do so" Ratatosk said. "Either way, it's not a good idea for you to continue denying her, especially since you want to. My advice? Surprise her, and do it now"

"Surprise her" Emil said slowly, considering it.

"Yeah" he said, then Ratatosk smiled slightly. "Good luck"

And with that, their little mental meeting slowly turned white, ending it. Outside Emil's mind, it had only taken a second in real-time.

* * *

><p>Marta stood there in the shower, carefully washing her two long braids of hair. Her clothes were in a pile on the counter, and the hot water rushing over her drowned out any small sound. The shower curtain was fully drawn, and impossible to see out of.<p>

She sighed, both in enjoyment of the hot water, and a small sadness. She didn't think she was being unreasonable, merely asking Emil if he would like to join her. She understood being nervous, she really did. But the way he kept saying no, proably out of nervousness, she couldn't help thinking... what if he truly didn't want to? Whether yet, or never?

She shook her head, rubbing the shampoo through her hair harder. Thinking like that wouldn't help her anyway... but talking with Emil would, later.

She made a small sound, washing both her hair braid and the top of her head at the same time. It felt good to have one hand rubbing the top of her head, and one on her hair braid.

She froze, her eyes wide. Wait a minute... BOTH her hands were on her hair braid.

So who was...?

"I-Is something wrong, Marta?" a voice spoke close behind her, the very definition of nervousness. It also made her blush heavily, more in surprise at this than actual embarrassment, though that was there too.

"Emil?" she breathed out, already turning around to look, only for both of his hands to grip her shoulders.

"Please! Don't turn around!" she heard, making her blink in surprise. "I... I'm already... nervous enough with this view... I'm not ready for all of it... n-not yet"

She blushed more, slowly giggling in happiness and embarrassment. "Oh Emil..." she breathed, slowly grabbing her bottle of shampoo. "Could you help me? I've gotten the right side of my hair done already... but could you do the left for me?"

"Uh... sure" he said, slowly taking it out of her hand, and the rubbing into her wet hair happened seconds later. She gently washed the soap off the rest of her body in the meantime, smiling with a blush.

She sighed in content, then simply leaned back against Emil, secretly enjoying the way he blanched from shyness. She blushed harder though herself; her back and butt were pressed against Emil, including a certain thing... which didn't seem to be hard at all, she noticed.

So... either she wasn't arousing him, he didn't know _anything_ about arousal, or he was so nervous it was overriding any arousal he might have.

She'd have to keep an eye on that one.

"Well, Emil" she teased him, smiling. "You certainly know how to please a girl"

"I-I do?" he breathed out, sounding more shocked than embarrassed. So he was uncertain of his own ability to arouse her? Or he was uncertain in general about this kind of thing?

Well, with time, that'd be no problem. She could wait easily.

She brought her hand up, bringing Emil's head onto her shoulder, though not without a sound of surprise. She looked up at him with soft eyes, one strand of her long wet hair draped over her chest, to spare him seeing anything he wasn't ready to yet. "Yes, you do" she breathed, smiling. "And if you can please me like this, I can't wait to see what other stuff you can do" she continued, then grinned a Chesire-Cat grin. "Oops... I said that aloud, didn't I?"

Emil's red face was barely able to nod, and it might have been her imagination, but she thought she heard him gulp.

She giggled, kissing him softly for a few seconds, then letting him go. "I'm about done here" she said softly. "You can dry yourself and get dressed"

"O-Okay" he breathed out, then she heard the shower curtain rustle (he must have been quiet and slow the first time) as he stepped out. She giggled again, smiling as she continued the final stages of washing herself. _"Oh, Emil... so sweet and shy"_ she thought with love.

* * *

><p><em>Some time later that day.<em>

Emil stood there in front of the door, breathing in and out several times. He couldn't believe he was about to do this, but it was for Marta, so it was worth it.

"I hope you think this will be worth it, Lord Emil" Tenebrae said at his side.

"So do I, Tenebrae" he said, sighing.

He reached out slowly, and rang the doorbell, then waited. As soon as he rang the bell, Tenebrae vanished with a puff of darkness.

Seconds later, the door was opened, and there stood Zelos. "Emil, my bud, what brings you here?" he asked, smiling. "Actually, step inside first, then tell me"

"I thought Lloyd was your bud, Zelos?" he said, stepping inside, looking at him.

"He is, but so are you" he said simply. "You're my bud too, Emil, my Bud #2"

Emil sweatdropped, and barely managed to keep his expression normal.

_Emil earned the title 'Bud #2'!_

He shook his head slightly, then looked at his friend. "Zelos, I'm here because there's something I wanted to ask you" he said. "Alone"

Zelos raised an eyebrow faintly, but he let that slide. "Okay, and what's so important that you have to talk to me alone?" he asked, tilting his head.

"You're the one who's always flirting with women" he started. "Always saying smooth things _(right...)_, and always, uh... ogling women?"

"All true" Zelos said, his head still tilted with a smile. "But what's your point?"

"It's about Marta..." he said, looking at Zelos. He would have said more, but Zelos cut him off. And truthfully, cutting him off made it easier to say what he needed to.

"Having trouble with Marta?" he said, chuckling.

"Well, not right this moment" he said, glancing down. "It's more of a future trouble"

Zelos opened his mouth to ask, but Emil closed his eyes and cut him off. "I-need-you-to-teach-me-how-to-please-a-woman!" he said quickly. It came out louder and more desperate than he had planned.

Zelos closed his mouth, while both his eyebrows rose. Then it faded as he immediately went to Emil's side, slapping a hand on his opposite shoulder, surprising him. "Well, well, well, Emil's growing up!" he said in a delighted voice. "You've come to the right man for advice, my Bud"

"Yeah... right" he said, looking at Zelos. "I have"

"Now, first, let me ask you this" he said, tilting his head. "When you say 'please her', how far do you mean?"

Emil's face slowly turned red. "...All of it" he managed to breath out, to Zelos's surprised eyebrow. "I... I want to be prepared, not just for the next step, but for every step that comes, Zelos"

Zelos stepped back a little, humming. "Then we'll got a lot to talk about, my bud" he said. "Hope you're ready"

_"Me too"_ Emil thought, mentally preparing himself. For some reason, he thought he was gonna regret this talk, even as he could use all the advice he could get.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Emil... sure he gets to learn all he needs, and more, but he has to sit through Zelos doing the instruction... Well, he'll get through it, he has to.<strong>

**Next time will involve Emil putting some of that instruction to use ;) So yeah, now things will start to get interesting between Emil and Marta.**

**Oh, and leave a review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Tales of Symphonia, not at all.

**Rating:** M (won't appear until after a few chapters, so it's T otherwise)

**A look at what might have happened after the ending of Dawn of the New World (spoilers for the Perfect ending). ****But don't worry, the original cast will make appearences as well ;) They're too good to leave out, but the focus is on Emil and Marta (and Tenebrae ;) ).**

* * *

><p>Marta paced back and forth, a lamp by their bedside on, a bit worried. Emil had told her he might be late, but it was past midnight, and she didn't think he'd mean <em>this<em> late. And she was debating whether to sleep now or wait a little longer.

She glanced at her bed as she paced. _"Maybe I should sleep... if Emil's this late, he might not come back tonight"_ she thought a little sadly.

At that moment, the lock on their door turned and unlocked with an audible click. She blinked in surprise, turning toward the door in surprise, just in time to see Emil enter, then close and lock the door behind him. "Emil..." she said, then she smiled. "You're here, and just in time for bed"

"Yeah, I am" he said, smiling as he face her. Marta blinked, taking a good look at Emil. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something had changed about him.

"Emil?" she said, tilting her head. "Somethings different about you... are you okay?"

"Sit down, Marta" Emil said gently, smiling as he stepped closer.

Marta blinked in surprise. Not only had he not answered her, now this. "Uhh... okay" she said with a smile, curious as she slowly sat down on the edge of her bed, her hands on her lap. "What's this about, Emil?"

"You'll see" he said simply, taking her hand in his, which pleasantly surprised her. In addition though, his other hand went up that same arm, touching the skin between her shoulder and her arm sleeve.

"Emil, tell me what you're up to" she said with a pleasant sigh at his touch. She didn't exactly expect him to answer right now, but she didn't mind whatever he was doing. She made a surprised sound when Emil gently pulled her detached sleeve and glove off herself, leaving her hand and arm bare.

"Emil" she breathed in a surprised tone, watching him do the same thing to her other arm. She didn't mind, truly, but why was Emil suddenly doing this?

"Don't worry, Marta" Emil said with a soft smile. "You can trust me"

She giggled a bit with a soft smile of her own. "I've always trusted you, Emil" she said, now watching him working on her boots, which he removed in short order, leaving her legs and feet only in black tights.

"Thank you" he said, his fingers moving over her feet, which tickled a little. She made another surprised sound when Emil gently tugged on her tights.

Little by little, her black tights were pulled down by Emil, who was careful not to tear them. She blushed a bit, her hands immediately covering the opening in her skirt, as without those tights, she was only left with normal underwear down there.

Soon enough, Emil had removed her tights off her legs. "You know, Marta, you have such lovely feet" he said, blushing faintly himself at saying such a thing.

She blinked, then she giggled with a blush. "Oh, Emil... you're too kind" she breathed at him, slowly lifting one foot up toward him.

**(Note: For anyone who's played Dawn of the New World, you've seen how abnormaly large Emil's feet are, and how abnormaly small Marta's feet are. For the purposes of his fanfiction, they've both got normal-sized feet, to be fair)**

He smiled with a small blush, then he kissed it gently, to her great surprise and pleasure. She giggled again as she slowly stood up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Emil, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?" she asked with soft eyes.

"This" he said simply, then he closed his eyes and kissed her, making a small surprised squeak go into his mouth. She quickly kissed back, tightening her grip around his neck. She further squeaked when Emil's tongue gently touched her lips, and she eagerly responded in kind.

When he pulled away after ten seconds (or minutes), she took in a quick breath, then opened her sparkling eyes. "Wow..." she breathed softly.

Emiled smiled at her, then puffs of darkness began radiating off his clothing. Marta slowly noticed and blinked in surprise, but she didn't let go of Emil. The puffs of darkness briefly got more intense, then they vanished.

And so had half of Emil's outfit, leaving his chest bare.

She gasped in surprise, her face turning a little red. "Emil" she whispered softly, her hands slowly moving over his chest. Over the course of their journey, he had gained quite a fair amount of muscle. He was nicely toned, not overly muscular, and seemingly perfect. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah" he said, then he kissed her again, making her squeak as she kissed him back. She further squeaked when his tongue joined in, even as her hands moved over his chest.

Their kissing grew more and more passionate, and at some point, they landed on the bed. When Emil pulled away, his eyes closed, she and him breathing heavily. "Emil... where did all your shyness go?" she breathed out.

"It's there. I'm just helping him with his confidence"

Marta's eyes snapped open, staring at Emil in shock. "R-Ratatosk?" she breathed in surprise.

Emil's eyes remained closed, but the voice that came out of his voice was different. "Don't worry, Marta, it's Emil that's doing everything you've felt him do" he said. "I'm simply joined with his mind to give him my confidence. And I'm blocking out all sensation, so that I don't feel anything and intrude on this private moment"

Emil shook his head slightly, then his green eyes opened. "He's right, Marta" he said softly, with a hint of the shyness she knew and loved. "Ratatosk is helping me, but it's me who's kissing you, and doing these things"

"Wait... did Ratatosk teach you these things?" she breathed, blinking slowly as she took all this in.

"No, Zelos did. Emil asked him to teach him, and he did it for you" Emil said with Ratatosk's voice. "And that's the final time I'm speaking here tonight"

Emil blinked again, then he smiled with a small blush. "Yeah... I did" he said gently.

She blinked again, then she threw herself at him with a glomp. "Emil!" she said happily, to his surprise. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me... thank you"

He touched her cheek with his fingers, to her blush. "You're welcome, Marta" he whispered gently, already starting to lean in.

She didn't have to think about that one; she closed her eyes and kissed him back, both of them slowly laying down on the bed.

They eventually fell asleep, both dressed exactly as they were before.

* * *

><p><em>Tomorrow morning<em>

"Marta? Marta, wake up"

She made a small noise as she was slowly roused from sleep, opening her eyes faintly. She smiled gently, finding herself waking up to Emil, who she still had her arms around. "Good morning, Emil" she breathed sleepily.

"Good morning, Marta" he whispered softly back, smiling at her, gently starting to sit up. Doing so released him from her grip, not that she minded much; she had gotten to hug him all last night.

Marta slowly sat up as well, stretching, though she had a brief confusion on why her sleeves and tights were gone. Then last night came back to her, along with a sweet smile at Emil.

She couldn't wait till the next time they did it again

**(Time-skip to that same night)**

Marta sighed in content as they lay across her bed, smiling up at Emil, who was sitting beside her. They had already removed her sleeves, gloves and tights. "Emil... do you want to?" she asked softly.

"I... I do" he said, his voice shy and his face a little red. "Do you?"

She nodded, her eyes soft. "I do" she whispered back. "Go as far as you choose, Emil"

He slowly nodded, then he closed his eyes, and a few seconds passed. During that time, he relaxed, and all traces of shyness seemed to disappear; the result of Ratatosk helping no doubt. She watched with soft eyes, her own face slightly red, thinking about what he might do in a minute.

Emil opened his green eyes, smiling at her. "Ready?" he whispered gently, to which she nodded.

It started with a kiss, like always, and they went at it for a good minute or two. While doing so, Emil's hands gently caressed her cheek and neck, though they did brush against the flowers in her hair. He loved them; as not only had they been her mother's, they were a part of his image of her.

In the meantime, she caressed his neck and back, though she did tease his chest as well. She loved feeling his muscles, and the little shivers he got from her touches made her happy.

Then somewhere along the line, Emil's hand gently wandered unto her own chest.

She squeaked into his mouth, her blush deepening as she looked up at Emil, her eyes starting to sparkle.

"Does it... feel good, Marta" he asked, sounding shy despite the confidence boost.

She nodded, making another small sound. "It does feel good, Emil" she breathed up at him, blushing with soft eyes.

"Y-You're sure?" he stuttered faintly, his face blushing. Seems like Ratatosk couldn't stop all his shyness and embarrassment.

She nodded with sparkling eyes, leaning up to kiss his neck, bringing his other hand to her chest as well.

Emil gulped, even as she made a small sound. "Go on" she whispered softly, pulling him down into a kiss, which she think helped him.

His hands slowly continued his nervous caressing, which send small shivers down her back, making her breathing heavy. And despite the flat appearance on her dress, it did not extend to feeling... she had told everyone she wasn't flat, it was just her clothes after all. Her hands gently caressed his chest as time went on, and he shuddered a little when she did so (in pleasure, she could tell).

They continued for awhile, but stopped at one point, leaving both to recover in different ways.

Still panting a bit, Marta smiled as she drew Emil into another kiss, which pleasantly surprised him. "I love you, Emil" she breathed lovingly.

He smiled gently, then he kissed her forehead, which pleased her. "I love you too, Marta"

She gently settled under the covers, Emil following her, she gently wrapping her arms across his neck. "Goodnight" she breathed, resting her head in the crook of Emil's neck, not that he minded.

"Goodnight" he whispered softly, resting his head against hers. Both of them drifted off to sleep soon afterward.

Even with Ratatosk's confidence, Emil was still taking things slow and soft. Which she enjoyed even more, as it was the Emil she knew and loved.

* * *

><p><strong>Things got interesting, and they'll only get more interesting :) Sure it'll take some time between them, with Emil going slow, but they'll get through it all.<strong>

**Next time, more of the shared showering, and more of the interesting stuff :)**

**Leave a review if you liked it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Tales of Symphonia, not at all.

**Rating:** M (won't appear until after a few chapters, so it's T otherwise)

**A look at what might have happened after the ending of Dawn of the New World (spoilers for the Perfect ending). ****But don't worry, the original cast will make appearences as well ;) They're too good to leave out, but the focus is on Emil and Marta (and Tenebrae ;) ).**

* * *

><p><em>A few days later<em>

"Ah... oh, AH!" Emil cried out in small gasps, among the sound of the shower water steaming downward.

"Hold still, Emil" Marta said gently, her fingers trying to massage and unwind the stress in his back.

"I'm sorry, M-Marta" he said, the slight stutter due to the small gasp he held back. At least her doing that distracted him from thoughts that they were together, alone, in the shower...

For those wondering, Marta had snuck in here to surprise him. She did that occasionally now, but they still mostly took their showers separately, and she still respected his wish to not see everything all at once.

She giggled a little, then she gently kissed his back, which surprised and pleased him at the same time. "I know, Emil" she whispered softly, leaning her head against the back of his neck. "Today was very tiring... who could have thought the rebel Vanguard would put up a new base in the Twilight Palace?"

"And Album Atrum with them, for revenge..." he said, breathing faintly, his face growing hotter as her closeness became more... appealing.

"And they still got away" she whispered again, but sadly this time, then she let go of him just enough. "But still, we'll get them, eventually... now, shall I continue?"

"Mmhmm" he mumbled through his closed mouth, closing his eyes, trying to control himself. As he did so, Marta continued to wash his back with her hands, while the water poured over his head. To further distract himself, he got to washing his hair with shampoo, though his one standing strand refused to stay down permanently.

He shivered a bit when Marta's hands starting washing his chest, making him turn red slightly. She probably wasn't just doing this to wash his chest...

"Do you like this, Emil?" she asked softly in his ear, which made him shiver in an entirely different way, despite that fact that it was a serious question.

"U-Uh... yeah" he breathed out, his face turning redder.

She giggled, and somehow he knew she had a sweet smile on her face. "Oh, Emil" she breathed softly

* * *

><p>Their wet shower session finished soon, and Marta pulled away from his back, turning to get out of the shower.<p>

Marta stepped outside the shower curtain, taking the big towel to dry herself, working on her long hair first. She smiled as she continued drying herself, taking her time.

"Marta!"

She blinked, the towel nearly falling from her hands in surprise, turning in response. "Emil?" she breathed out in shock, forgetting the fact that she wasn't completely covered by the towel (specifically, from the waist up).

Emil stood there two feet away, dripping onto the floor, as bare as could be and staring at her in complete shock. Specifically, a bit down from her face.

"Marta..." he said, jolting her out of her trance. "I... uh..." he stuttered out, sounding close to panicking.

She turned red slowly, glancing down at where Emil was staring at her. _"He must have... thought I'd finished getting dressed"_ she thought, looking up slowly.

"I-It's okay, Emil" she breathed, making him blink. She fidgeted for the other towel beside her, then once she actually grasped it, offered it to Emil. He took it, covering himself with a red face, while she adjusted her towel to cover all of herself.

"I'll get dressed outside... you take your time here, Emil" she said, taking her clothes in one hand, holding up her towel with the other. Once outside, she managed to close the door with her foot, leaving only a slight crack visible.

And once she did, she let out a big breath. It was one thing to be prepared for this... having it happen when she didn't expect it, at ALL, that was very embarrassing.

_"No wonder Emil reacted the way he did at the Hot Springs"_ she thought, blushing hard.

* * *

><p><em>2 weeks later<em>

Emil brushed water onto his face from the sink several times, getting rid of that morning tiredness that clung to him.

"How is my Lord doing?" came a snarkful voice from the air.

Emil smiled faintly, standing up straight, but he didn't look yet. "Hey there, Tenebrae" he said. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

Tenebrae puffed into existance beside him, floating in the air as he did so. "Yes it has" he agreed. "However, I have other duties as you are aware, so I cannot be by your side at all times"

"I know that" he said, smiling as he looked at Tenebrae. "Nor do we want you looking on our more... private moments" he said after a moment, a faint blush appearing.

"Yes, it would be hard to get Lady Marta's constant breathing of your name out of my head" Tenebrae said dryly, which only made Emil blush more. "Though I must admit my surprise... in rather short time, even by accident, you have both almost seen everything of your parnter.

Emil turned his brightest red, leaning backward a bit, the way he did. "Is there a point to this, Tenebrae?" he breathed, trying to distract himself.

"Not really" Tenebrae said, then he chuckled. "But still, Lord Emil... I have not seen any indication after these events, that you're regretting or didn't want it to happen"

Emil made an embarrassed sound, looking down.

"So maybe, my Lord truly wishes to mate with Lady Marta?" he said, in all seriousness.

"Tenebrae!" he yelled out, his face turning completely red.

"Apparently not yet" he said dryly, then he chuckled again, floating outside the bathroom. "But you've already taken steps toward it, Lord Emil... just make sure to please Lady Marta when that time comes"

With that, he puffed out of existance, leaving Emil to his embarrassed/shocked thoughts.

* * *

><p><em>That night<em>

Marta leaned forward against the railing, standing on the bridge where she and Emil had first kissed, some distance from Altamira's casino. She looked up at the night sky, smiling as she felt the slight wind, waiting.

"Hey there, Marta"

She looked to her left, smiling more as Emil stepped closer. "Thanks for coming, Emil" she said, watching him step to right beside her, about a foot distance between them. After a moment, Emil's hand hesiatantly joined hers on the railing, which made him blush faintly.

_"So sweet of him"_ she thought, looking back at the sky. "I remember the last time we were here" she said softly.

"Huh?" he said, looking at her curiously.

"We both thought that night would be our last one together... as you were going to guard the Ginnugagup, as Ratatosk" she continued. "Or at least, that's what I thought..."

"I'm sorry, Marta" he said, looking down slightly. "I couldn't let Ratatosk... get away with the murder of Aster. I may not have commited the crime, but I was part of him... and I wanted to make up for it"

"You still went about it the wrong way, Emil!" she cried out, lightly pushing him with her other hand, pouting. "You seriously worried every single one of your friends, and me!"

"I know" he said sadly, looking back up. "I'm sor-"

She stopped him with a finger to his lips, which surprised him. She slowly smiled, tightening her grip on his hand. "But none of that matters now" she whispered softly, stepping closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Emil slowly wrapped his other arm around her waist, making her smile, not knowing he was also smiling. "Marta" he whispered softly.

"Emil" she breathed in content, holding his hand. "What matters now, is our future together... though I'm nervous for when we get married"

"Still!" Emil cried out in shock, then he blinked several times, she pulling away slightly so she could look at him. "You... you still want us to get married, Marta?" he said, though more nervous this time around.

She slowly nodded, her eyes soft. "Yeah, I do" she whispered softly. "You're the only one for me, Emil"

Emil blushed faintly, and he started stuttering again, but he stopped when she started giggling, and pulled him into a hug.

"But don't worry, I won't constantly mention it" she said gently. "And I'm not gonna rush you or me into it... I'll wait, for when we're both ready, whenever that day is, okay?"

Emil slowly nodded, then he hugged her back, smiling at her when they pulled apart slightly. "I can work with that, Marta" he said softly, but still a bit nervous. "Or at least, I'll try"

She nodded with a soft smile, looking back toward the sky, leaning her head against his neck, both of them holding each other close.

* * *

><p><strong>And done. I'm quite sure most of you weren't thinking it'd end this way... but that's because things on my end are becoming a bit hectic, and I gotta focus on them, so for now, this fanfiction is complete. But just because it's complete now doesn't mean I won't finish it at a later date (I make no promises though).<strong>

**And I know it was said at the end of the first chapter, but I'll say it again: EmilXMarta seriously needs more love. I'm hoping this fanfiction was a worthy addition to them, despite the ending.**

**Leave a review if you liked it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Tales of Symphonia, not at all.

**Rating:** M (won't appear until after a few chapters, so it's T otherwise)

**A look at what might have happened after the ending of Dawn of the New World (spoilers for the Perfect ending). ****But don't worry, the original cast will make appearences as well ;) They're too good to leave out, but the focus is on Emil and Marta (and Tenebrae ;) ).**

* * *

><p><em>3 weeks later<em>

"AH!" Emil gasped, sitting upright, breathing a bit heavily.

He slowly calmed down... he'd just had a flashback of Richter trying to kill him, or rather a memory of that happening. It may have been some time ago, but the sheer hatred and fury in Richter's face still made him shudder.

He slowly looked around the room, wondering what time it was. It was very dark, but his body told him it was still very late... as evidenced by Marta still asleep beside him. He smiled faintly as he looked at her sleeping form.

As he stared at her, almost as if she could sense he was still awake, Marta began to stir. "Mmh... Emil?" she breathed, blinking slowly, her eyes still sleepy.

He blushed faintly as her covers shifted around her form, revealing more skin. This was because it was a very warm night, so they had gone to bed nude, both of them. "It's okay, Marta" he whispered gently. "I'm fine, go back to sleep"

But even when sleepy, Marta didn't go with it that easily. "What's wrong, Emil?" she breathed, sitting up, pulling the covers up to her chest.

He hung his head slightly, sighing. "Just a bad dream, Marta" he whispered, then he smiled at her. "But I'm alright, really"

She looked at him for several moments, but she smiled faintly. "Trying to ease my concerns" she whispered, then she moved closer, the covers slipping. "I love that about you, Emil" she continued, then she hugged him, her head against his neck.

While he did smile and hug her back, he did blush faintly. Her body was pressing against him, completely unclothed, which was a bit embarrassing. Sure he had some experience with this now, but it didn't stop his blush at all.

And as he hugged the brunette to him, he looked at her with a blush. She had done so much for him, she and everyone else... but mostly her.

As he thought, Marta pulled away slightly, smiling at him. "Emil, are you okay?" she whispered, tilting her head at him. She blushed faintly when his hand moved through her long hair.

He didn't answer, but he did smile as he pulled her closer, closing his eyes. He enjoyed her squeak of surprise, and the way she shivered in delight as his other hand caressed her neck. She quickly got into the kiss, her own hands wrapping around his neck, pulling them closer.

He blushed faintly as they continued to kiss, though he did start heating things up. Emil gently opened their mouths, alternately sucking on her upper lip (she really liked that), and licking across her lips. It really made him feel good when she returned the favor as well. This included when tongues joined in.

Marta moaned lightly into his mouth, something which sent a small thrill through him (as it meant Marta was really enjoying this). Shortly after she moaned, she pulled away slightly to breathe, which he did as well.

"E-Emil..." she breathed, leaning her head against his. Even from just her tone, he could tell she had thoroughly enjoyed that.

A good thing too, as he was ready to go further, which didn't happen often. And he didn't need Ratatosk to help this time.

So he gently took her hands, and guided them onto his muscles, to her pleased surprise. "Emil" she breathed in surprise, and even more so when he pulled down their covers with a slightly deeper blush.

Contray to what her normal clothes said about her, she wasn't flat, as he had found out that one morning just after showering together. She wasn't overly big or small, but she was perky and perfectly-shaped to him, and her soft nipples only completed the image.

Her breath hitched as his fingers touched her chest, then when his lips touched hers again, all thoughts stopped for both of them.

Increasingly lost in the heat of the moment, Emil pushed forward in their kiss, sending them both onto the bed. Marta merely moaned, then she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling his lips even closer. Her breath hitched several times as he caressed her breasts though, and outright gasped when he played with her nipples.

After leaving her breathless, Emil moved off her lips, going for her chest. As he had learned from Zelos, it was best to start with the lips for the mood, then work his way down her body, but take his time.

"Ah!" she cried out, squirming under his touch, but also pleasuring his chest with her fingers. "Oh... Ah!"

Emil blushed as she continued to moan under his touch, but he kept going. She enjoyed the caressing and cupping of her breasts, as well as the pinching and toying with her nipples, but it was his kisses that drove her wild. Where he kissed was not important, it was that he did so... and the woman's wild spots were more important than standard touchings, as it showed that they truly cared about the woman. Zelos had yet to do that part though...

"Emil!" she cried out, panting heavily even as she cried out from the pleasure. This might be because Emil was lightly sucking on her breasts.

Eventually, he stopped, breathing faintly as he lay there beside her, blushing hard. He kept his hands on her breasts though, lightly caressing them slowly, but watching her pant heavily and recover. This way, he could keep the mood up, yet let his woman recover and do what she wished.

She half-opened her eyes, which sparkled as she touched his cheeks with her fingers. "Emil..." she breathed, crawling closer to him. "You're amazing"

"Thank you" he whispered softly, lighting kissing her fingers, which made her blush and giggle. He blushed a bit harder, gently taking her hands. "Marta... do you want to touch me now?"

She blushed harder, but she shook her head, kissing him softly. "Maybe next time" she breathed, resting her head against his cheek. "Right now... I wish to enjoy the feel of your touch. And I will do my part when I feel like it"

"Okay" he whispered with a smile, gently kissing her back. Bracing himself a little, he then got up a little, back into position. He then gently licked across her breasts once, making her shiver in delight. This distracted her enough that his fingers moving down her body went unnoticed.

"Oh, Em-" she started to breathe, only to scream in surprise, her body bucking a bit. "Emil!"

A few simple touches, and she was already screaming? Emil blushed harder, keeping his eyes on her face as his fingers blindly moved across her body. A little uneasily, he slowly dug one finger inside. Her fleshy opening immediately seized upon his finger, hot and wet already.

He sweatdropped slightly; this part wasn't exactly this thing, he was discovering. This was why he also didn't look as he did so.

As Marta screamed and moaned repeatedly (and loudly), he dug around carefully, lightly kissing Marta's cheeks/lips to calm himself. It had to be around here somewhere... then Marta gave her loudest scream yet, and her body shook vigoriously; he'd found it.

While one hand gently caressed her chest, and he gently kissed all over her face, his other finger slowly and gently began stroking that special spot (or thing... he wasn't sure exactly what he was stroking). Her back arched high, her screams/moans filling the bedroom, along with heavy panting... and along the process, her opening only tightened on his finger.

When he judged she might just 'explode' on him, he withdrew, leaving her to slump against the bed, her entire face red. He lay back down beside her, carefully tucking his arousal beneath him.

"Oh... my..." she breathed, her face red as she slowly looked up at him. "Emil... I wish it was our wedding night already"

"Why... why is that?" he asked, blushing harder and sounding a bit nervous.

"So you could take me" she whispered, sounding nervous and shy but determined.

He turned red, gulping faintly. "R-Really?" he whispered, slowly taking her hands in his. It helped calm him, and he think it helped her as well.

"Yeah" she breathed, then she snuggled against him. "You're so good at pleasure, Emil, being gentle and soft... but don't worry, I'll still wait till that day"

He smiled faintly, but he didn't answer for awhile. "Do you... still want me to finish you, then?" he whispered eventually, his blush deepening as he said it. "Right now?"

"Do you want to?" she whispered simply, gently looking at him from her place against his cheek.

"Uh..." he said, not really having seen that coming. He wasn't sure how to answer, so he said "I'm not sure"

She giggled, kissing his lips. "Then let's just sleep, Emil" she whispered, snuggling closer against him. "That was your first time down there... we can always do it again later"

"Okay" he breathed, slowly pulling the covers back over them, slowly closing his eyes as he held Marta close.

He had to remember to thank Zelos later. All his advice had really helped... even the part where if his advice didn't work on Marta, to disregard them completely and do what did work.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, the REAL ending of this fanfiction. Sorry that I had to be on hiatus at all, but things got in the way... anyway, hope you all enjoyed this fanfiction, despite the bump :)<strong>

**So leave a review. And good luck to EmilXMarta ;)**


End file.
